1. 2012 started with great promise and ends with renewed hope for Razorbacks football. In between came personal and professional disasters off and on the field. (File photos of coaches Bobby Petrino, John L. Smith and Bret Bielema)

3. Wal-Mart CEO Michael Duke assured shareholders that the retailer was “doing everything we can to get to the bottom” of allegations that the company had violated the U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act. (Beth Hall)

4. David Wood abruptly retired as CEO of Murphy Oil Corp, months before the company announced plans to spin off its retail operations.

5. Stephen LaFrance Sr. sold USA Drug for $428 million in 2012.

6. The Arkansas General Assembly will be controlled by Republicans come 2013.

7. The Little Rock retailer announced in November that it would pay a one-time cash dividend of $5 per share before the end of 2012. (Stephanie Dunn)

The Mall at Turtle Creek in Jonesboro. (Mark Friedman)

Centennial Bank’s branch at 2514 N. Roosevelt Blvd. at Key West, Fla., home to $33 million in deposits, is the company’s second-largest branch in the Keys.

Schulze & Burch Biscuit Co. of Chicago, which had bought the assets of Searcy ice cream maker Yarnell’s in December 2011, resumed making the much-loved product by April.

The Razorbacks' awful year. Wal-Mart under scrutiny. The GOP takes control. Dillard's, Murphy and growing banks. Arkansas Business takes its annual look at the most important business stories in Arkansas that took place during 2012.